Fifty Contemporary Filmmakersexamines the work of some of today's most popular, original and influential cinematic voices from around the world. The subjects of these fifty essays are drawn from such diverse cinematic traditions as Europe cinema, mainstream Hollywood movies, independent American film, Chinese and Japanese cinema. Among those featured in this lively reference are: Luc Besson Joel and Ethan Coen David Cronenberg Julie Dash Hal Hartley David Lynch Martin Scorsese Lars Von Trier Wim Wenders These essays outlines its subject's career, discussing the major films, the genres in which he or she works, references and relationships to other films and filmmakers, and concluding with an assessment of his or her status as anauteur. With each entry supplemented by a filmography, references and suggestions for further reading, this is a guide to modern cinema which students of, or anyone interested in, contemporary film will find indispensable.

Allison Anders

Aoyama Shinji

Gregg Araki

Jean-Jacques Beineix

Bernado Bertolucci in context

Luc Besson: Bard and Filmmaker

Kathryn Bigelow

Charles Burnett

Tim Burton

James Cameron

Jane Campion

Jackie Chan

Joel and Ethan Coen

Francis Ford Coppola

David Cronenberg

Julie Dash

Homeless: Atom Egoyan in Canada

David Fincher

Tsui Hark

Hal Hartley

Todd Haynes: To Act with Grandeur

Stranger Than Fiction: The Rise and Fall of Jim Jarmusch

Neil Jordan

The Face of a Sad Rat: the Cinematic Universe of the Brothers Kaurismäki

Abbas Kiarostami

Krzysztof Kieslowski: Why Kieslowski?

Diane Kurys

Ang Lee

Spike Lee

David Lynch

Michael Mann: Elegies on the Postindustrial Landscape

Mira Nair

Sally Potter and the Making of a British Woman Filmmaker

John Sayles: Integrity and Borders

Martin Scorsese: Movies and Religion

Colene Serreau

Steven Soderbergh

Todd Solondz

Steven Spielberg

Oliver Stone

Quentin Tarantino

Making Movies that Matter: Christine Vachon, Independent Film Producer